The three wise men from the biblical story of Jesus' birth arrived with gifts of their own as they embarked on their legendary journey from the Far East to see the priceless gift of the newborn King. Among them, frankincense has far more value than just being a fragrant incense. It exhibits potent anti-cancer properties that validate the precious oil's legitimacy as truly fit for a king, even in contemporary times.
The oil of frankincense has been used for thousands of years to quell disease-causing inflammation,support heightened immunity4, and prevent dangerous infections. But many people remain unaware of the added cancer-fighting potential of this precious serum, which researchers from the University of Leicester in the UK (among others), have confirmed through rigorous scientific testing.
Also known as boswellia, frankincense claims as part of its vast nutrient profile a unique compound known as acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, or AKBA for short. Scientific tests have determined that AKBA is a sworn enemy of cancer.2 With funding from the government of Oman, researchers from the University of Leicester were able to uncover how frankincense may be a safe and effective remedy for women who suffer from ovarian cancer – one of the leading causes of cancer in women.
Even in patients with late-stage ovarian cancer, which is exceedingly difficult to treat using conventional methods, the AKBA found in frankincense oil demonstrated clear efficacy. Here’s what Kamla Al-Salmani, lead author of the paper covering these findings and a PhD student at the University’s Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine department, had to say:
“After a year of studying the AKBA compound with ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro, we have been able to show it is effective at killing cancer cells. Frankincense is taken by many people with no known side effects. This finding has enormous potential to be taken to a clinical trial in the future and developed into an additional treatment for ovarian cancer.”
Cancer Cells that Don’t Respond to Chemotherapy are Eradicated by Frankincense
Related research into AKBA has shown that this unique substance is also effective against other forms of cancer as well, including breast, colon, and prostate cancers. And the evidence suggests that frankincense isn’t just a supplemental treatment to go along with chemotherapy and radiation; in some cases it may actually be preferential as a replacement.The reason for this is that frankincense shows demonstrable effectiveness in a few areas where chemotherapy isn’t all that effective, particularly with regards to ovarian cancer. Commenting on the study’s findings, Dr. Mark Evans, who heads the program of which Al-Salmani is a student, explained that certain cancer cell lines that don’t respond to chemotherapy are notably responsive to frankincense.
Though commonly mixed with a carrier oil such as saponified coconut oil or jojoba oil and applied topically, frankincense can also be consumed orally by putting one or two drops of the oil into a beverage. Be sure to consult with a physician versed in the proper use of essential oils before undertaking such a regimen for cancer-fighting purposes.